The Prime Minister of Cuba (Spanish: Primer Ministro de Cuba) – official title: President of the Council of Ministers (Spanish: Presidente del Consejo de Ministros de Cuba) – is the head of the Council of Ministers of Cuba.

The office of Prime Minister was first instituted in 1940 in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Cuba as amended in that year. The first Prime Minister of Cuba was Carlos Saladrigas Zayas (1900–1957), the nephew of former President Alfredo Zayas. The prime minister was also sometimes referred to as "premier". Between 1940 and 1959, Cuba saw fifteen changes of prime minister; Félix Lancís Sánchez exercised the role twice (1944–1945 and 1950–1951) while Fulgencio Batista held the position concurrently with that of President of Cuba for one month (April 1952) following a military coup. Fidel Castro became prime minister in 1959, replacing José Miró Cardona.[1]

The title of the office was officially changed on 2 December 1976 when a new national constitution, restructuring the government, came into force. Fidel Castro became president of the Council of State (President of Cuba) and also president of the Council of Ministers, elected by the National Assembly of People's Power. The President of the Council of Ministers is, however, still frequently referred to as being the country's "prime minister".

1.
Council of Ministers (Cuba)
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The Council of Ministers, also referred to as simply the Cabinet of Cuba, is the highest ranking executive and administrative body of the Republic of Cuba, and constitutes the nations government. The Executive Committee is a body, consisting of the President and Vice Presidents of the Council of State, the Secretary. The Council of Ministers is responsible for the implementation of policy agreements authorized by the National Assembly of People’s Power and these are designated to individual ministries. The council also proposes general plans for economic and social development, the Council of Ministers enforces laws authorized by the National Assembly, which are passed by the Council of State. The body currently consists of, List of Prime Ministers of Cuba http, //www. cubagob. cu/ - tag Miembros http, //www. parlamentocubano. cu/index. php. option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=96

2.
Havana
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Havana is the capital city, largest city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city extends mostly westward and southward from the bay, which is entered through a narrow inlet, the sluggish Almendares River traverses the city from south to north, entering the Straits of Florida a few miles west of the bay. King Philip II of Spain granted Havana the title of City in 1592, walls as well as forts were built to protect the old city. The sinking of the U. S. battleship Maine in Havanas harbor in 1898 was the cause of the Spanish–American War. Contemporary Havana can essentially be described as three cities in one, Old Havana, Vedado and the suburban districts. The city is the center of the Cuban government, and home to various ministries, headquarters of businesses, the current mayor is Marta Hernández of the Communist Party of Cuba. In 2009, the city/province had the third highest income in the country, the city attracts over a million tourists annually, the Official Census for Havana reports that in 2010 the city was visited by 1,176,627 international tourists, a 20% increase from 2005. Old Havana was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, the city is also noted for its history, culture, architecture and monuments. As typical of Cuba, Havana also features a tropical climate, in May 2015, Havana was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities together with Vigan, Doha, La Paz, Durban, Beirut, and Kuala Lumpur. Most native settlements became the site of Spanish colonial cities retaining their original Taíno names, an alternate theory is that Habana is derived from the Middle Dutch word havene, referring to a harbour, etymologically related to the English word haven. All attempts to found a city on Cubas south coast failed, however, an early map of Cuba drawn in 1514 places the town at the mouth of this river. The town that became Havana finally originated adjacent to what was then called Puerto de Carenas, the quality of this natural bay, which now hosts Havanas harbor, warranted this change of location. Pánfilo de Narváez gave Havana – the sixth town founded by the Spanish on Cuba – its name, the name combines San Cristóbal, patron saint of Havana. Shortly after the founding of Cubas first cities, the served as little more than a base for the Conquista of other lands. Havana began as a port, and suffered regular attacks by buccaneers, pirates. The first attack and resultant burning of the city was by the French corsair Jacques de Sores in 1555, ships from all over the New World carried products first to Havana, in order to be taken by the fleet to Spain. The thousands of ships gathered in the bay also fueled Havanas agriculture and manufacture, since they had to be supplied with food, water. On December 20,1592, King Philip II of Spain granted Havana the title of City, later on, the city would be officially designated as Key to the New World and Rampart of the West Indies by the Spanish Crown

3.
National Assembly of People's Power
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The National Assembly of People’s Power is the legislative parliament of the Republic of Cuba and the supreme body of State power. Its members are elected from electoral districts for a term of five years. The Assemblys current President is Esteban Lazo Hernández, the assembly meets twice a year. Between sessions it is represented by the 31 member Council of State, the most recent elections were held on 3 February 2013. The Assembly is a parliament and the only body in Cuba that is vested with both constituent and legislative authority. It holds two sessions a year, which are public unless the Assembly itself votes to hold them behind closed doors for reasons of state. It has permanent commissions to look after issues of legislative interest at times when the Assembly is not in session and it hears the reports from national government and administration agencies and can also grant amnesties. The National Assembly also has permanent departments that oversee the work of the Commissions, Local Assemblies, Judicial Affairs, the Assembly originated from the nationwide elections held in 1976 following the ratification of the 1976 Constitution. Elected officials, according to the established by law, met for the first time on 2 December 1976. The Constitution, approved in a referendum on 14 February 1976. See main article, Elections in Cuba The assembly deputies are elected every five years. Half of the candidates are nominated at public meetings before gaining approval from electoral committees, the Assembly itself elects the 31 members of the Council of State, their terms expire when a new Assembly is elected. The assembly elects the President, Vice President and Secretary of the Council of State and it also elects the Council of Ministers, the members of the Supreme Court, and the Attorney Generals Office of Cuba. Up to 50% of the candidates must be chosen by the Municipal Assemblies, the final list of candidates is drawn up by the National Candidature Commission taking into account criteria such as candidates merit, patriotism, ethical values and revolutionary history. Politics of Cuba List of legislatures by country Official website

4.
Term of office
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A term of office is the length of time a person serves in a particular elected office. In many jurisdictions there is a limit on how long terms of office may be before the officeholder must be subject to re-election. Some jurisdictions exercise term limits, setting a number of terms an individual may hold in a particular office. Being the origin of the Westminster system, aspects of the United Kingdoms system of government are replicated in other countries. The monarch serves as head of state until his or her death or abdication, in the United Kingdom Members of Parliament in the House of Commons are elected for the duration of the parliament. Following dissolution of the Parliament, an election is held which consists of simultaneous elections for all seats. For most MPs this means that their terms of office are identical to the duration of the Parliament, an MP elected in a by-election mid-way through a Parliament, regardless of how long they have occupied the seat, is not exempt from facing re-election at the next general election. The Septennial Act 1715 provided that a Parliament expired seven years after it had been summoned, prior to the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 parliaments had no minimum duration. Parliaments could be dissolved early by the monarch at the Prime Ministers request, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 mandated that Parliaments should last their full five years. Early dissolution is possible, but under much more limited circumstances. Hereditary peers and life peers retain membership of the House of Lords for life, Lords Spiritual hold membership of the House of Lords until the end of their time as bishops, though a senior bishop may be made a life peer upon the end of their bishopric. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are variations on the system of government used at Westminster, the office of the leader of the devolved administrations has no numeric term limit imposed upon it. However, in the case of the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government there are fixed terms for which the legislatures can sit and this is imposed at four years. Elections may be held before this time but only if no administration can be formed, offices of local government other regional elected officials follow similar rules to the national offices discussed above, with persons elected to fixed terms of a few years. Federal judges have different terms in office, however, the majority of the federal judiciary, Article III judges, such as those of the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and federal district courts, serve for life. The terms of office for officials in state governments according to the provisions of state constitutions. The term for state governors is four years in all states but Vermont and New Hampshire, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported in January 2007 that among state legislatures,44 states had terms of office for the lower house of the state legislature at two years. Five had terms of office at four years,37 states had terms of office for the upper house of the state legislature at four years

5.
Cuba
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Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is a country comprising the island of Cuba as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and it is south of both the U. S. state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Haiti, and north of Jamaica. Havana is the largest city and capital, other cities include Santiago de Cuba. Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, with an area of 109,884 square kilometres, prior to Spanish colonization in the late 15th century, Cuba was inhabited by Amerindian tribes. It remained a colony of Spain until the Spanish–American War of 1898, as a fragile republic, Cuba attempted to strengthen its democratic system, but mounting political radicalization and social strife culminated in the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1952. Further unrest and instability led to Batistas ousting in January 1959 by the July 26 Movement, since 1965, the state has been governed by the Communist Party of Cuba. A point of contention during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, a nuclear war broke out during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Culturally, Cuba is considered part of Latin America, Cuba is a Marxist–Leninist one-party republic, where the role of the vanguard Communist Party is enshrined in the Constitution. Independent observers have accused the Cuban government of human rights abuses. It is one of the worlds last planned economies and its economy is dominated by the exports of sugar, tobacco, coffee, according to the Human Development Index, Cuba is described as a country with high human development and is ranked the eighth highest in North America. It also ranks highly in some metrics of national performance, including health care, the name Cuba comes from the Taíno language. The exact meaning of the name is unclear but it may be translated either as where fertile land is abundant, authors who believe that Christopher Columbus was Portuguese state that Cuba was named by Columbus for the town of Cuba in the district of Beja in Portugal. Before the arrival of the Spanish, Cuba was inhabited by three distinct tribes of indigenous peoples of the Americas, the Taíno, the Guanajatabey, and the Ciboney people. The ancestors of the Ciboney migrated from the mainland of South America, the Taíno arrived from Hispanola sometime in the 3rd century A. D. When Columbus arrived they were the dominant culture in Cuba, having a population of 150,000. The name Cuba comes from the native Taíno language and it is derived from either coabana meaning great place, or from cubao meaning where fertile land is abundant. The Taíno were farmers, while the Ciboney were farmers as well as fishers and hunter-gatherers, Columbus claimed the island for the new Kingdom of Spain and named it Isla Juana after Juan, Prince of Asturias. In 1511, the first Spanish settlement was founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar at Baracoa, other towns soon followed, including San Cristobal de la Habana, founded in 1515, which later became the capital

6.
Politics of Cuba
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Cuba has had, according to the Constitution, a democratic centralist political system since 1959 based on the one state – one party principle. Cuba is constitutionally defined as a Marxist–Leninist socialist state guided by the ideas of Marx, one of the fathers of historical materialism, Engels. The present Constitution also ascribes the role of the Communist Party of Cuba to be the force of society and of the state. Executive power is exercised by the Government, which is represented by the Council of State, legislative power is exercised through the unicameral National Assembly of Peoples Power, which is constituted as the maximum authority of the state. Fidel Castro has ruled from 1959 to 2016 before his brother took the power, Esteban Lazo Hernández is President of the National Assembly. Executive power is exercised by the government, the Ministry of Interior is the principal organ of state security and control. According to the Cuban Constitution Article 94, the First Vice President of the Council of State assumes presidential duties upon the illness or death of the President. Cuba has a national legislature, the National Assembly of Peoples Power. The National Assembly convenes twice a year in ordinary periods of sessions, however, it has permanent commissions to look after issues of legislative interest. The National Assembly also has permanent departments that oversee the work of the Commissions, Local Assemblies of the Peoples Power, International Relations, Judicial Affairs and the Administration. Article 88 of the Constitution of Cuba, adopted in 1976, provides for citizen proposals of law, in 2002 supporters of a movement known as the Varela Project submitted a citizen proposal of law with 11,000 signatures calling for a national referendum on political and economic reforms. The Government response was to collect 8.1 million signatures to request that Cubas National Assembly enact an amendment making socialism an unalterable feature of Cuban government. The Committees for the Defense of the Revolution is a network of organizations across Cuba. The organizations are designed to put medical, educational or other campaigns into national effect and it is the duty of the CDR officials to know the activities of each person in their respective blocks. Cuba is a one-party political system, suffrage is non-compulsory and is afforded to Cuban citizens who have resided for two years on the island. Such citizens must be aged sixteen years, must not have been found guilty of a criminal offense. Cubans living abroad are denied the right to vote, the national elections for the 612 members of the National Assembly of Peoples Power are held according to this system and the precepts of the 1976 Constitution. From 1959 to 1976, a legislative branch did not exist, in 1992 the Constitution was reformed to allow direct voting to elect members to the National Assembly

7.
Constitution of Cuba
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Cuba has had several constitutions since winning its independence. The current constitution was drafted in 1976 and has since been amended, events in early nineteenth-century Spain, prompted a general concern with constitutions throughout Spains overseas possessions. In 1808, both King Ferdinand VII and his predecessor and father, Charles IV, resigned their claims to the throne in favor of Napoleon Bonaparte, in the ensuing Peninsular War, the Spanish waged a war of independence against the French Empire. The Cortes included representatives from throughout the Spanish Empire, including Cuba, several models of constitutional government were proposed for Cuba. José Agustín Caballero offered a charter for Cuban autonomy under Spanish rule in Diario de la Habana in 1810, the next year, Bayamo attorney Joaquín Infante living in Caracas wrote his Constitutional Project for the Island of Cuba. He reconciled his liberal principles with slavery in Cuba, noting that slavery exited in the United States alongside republican government. Spanish authorities imprisoned him for his writings, in 1821, Félix Varela represented Cuba in the Cortes Generales of Spain during a short period when the Constitution of 1812 was revived. It was nominally in effect from 1869 to 1878 during the Ten Years War against Spain, two ad hoc constitutions were adopted in the course of Cubas fight for independence from Spain. It described relations between civil and military authority and it named key officials and outlined the requirements of a peace treaty with Spain. In September 1897, the met in La Yaya, adopted a new document on 30 October. The 1901 Constitution, was Cubas first as an independent state and it incorporated eight principles set out in the Platt Amendment without which U. S. During the presidency of Federico Laredo Brú, a Constitutional Assembly was elected in November 1939 to write a new constitution, the Assembly debated publicly for six months and adopted the constitution at the Capitol in Havana. It was signed by the delegates on 1 July 1940, and it provided for land reform, public education, universal healthcare, minimum wage and other progressive ideas, many of which were not implemented in practice. Fulgencio Batista suspended parts of this constitution after seizing power in 1952 and it was completely suspended after the Cuban revolution. After 16 years of government from 1959 to 1975, the revolutionary government of Cuba sought to institutionalize the revolution by putting a new constitution to a popular vote. The Constitution of 1976 was adopted by referendum on 15 February 1976, in which it was approved by 99. 02% of voters and it took effect on 24 February 1976. This constitution called for a control of the market and re-committed the state to providing its citizens with access to free education and health care. The state was granted the power to regulate the activities of religious institutions

8.
Communist Party of Cuba
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The Communist Party of Cuba is the political party that rules in Republic of Cuba, although others exist. It is a Communist party of the Marxist-Leninist model, the Cuban constitution ascribes the role of the Party to be the leading force of society and of the state. Cuba had a number of communist and anarchist organizations from the period of the Republic. The original internationalised Communist Party of Cuba formed in the 1920s, in 1944 it renamed itself as the Popular Socialist Party for electoral reasons. The Communist Party is the recognized political party in Cuba. Other parties, though not illegal, are unable to campaign or conduct any activities on the island that could be deemed counter-revolutionary, for the first fifteen years of its formal existence, the Communist Party was almost completely inactive outside of the Politburo. The 100 person Central Committee rarely met and it was ten years after its founding that the first regular Party Congress was held. In 1969, membership of the party was only 55,000 or 0. 7% of the population, in the 1970s, the partys apparatus began to develop. By 1980 the party had grown to over 430,000 members, apparatuses of the party had grown to ensure that its leading cadres were appointed to key government positions. The Communist Party of Cuba held its first Party Congress in 1975 and has had additional congresses in 1980,1986,1991,1997, and 2011. The Seventh Party Congress took place from April 19 to April 22,2016, around the 55th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Secretariat, however, was re-introduced in 2002. There is also a Central Committee which meets between party congresses, at the Fifth Party Congress the size of the Central Committee was reduced to 150 members from the previous membership of 225. Fidel Castro was the partys First Secretary since its inception, while Raúl Castro was the Second Secretary, upon Fidels 2008 resignation from the Party and Cuban government, Raúl became First Secretary. The 7th Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba was elected by the Central Committee on 19 April 2016 following the 7th Party Congress. The 6th Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba was elected by the Central Committee on 19 April 2011 following the 6th Party Congress. The Communist Party of Cuba has a wing, the Young Communist League which is a member organization of the World Federation of Democratic Youth. It also has a group, the José Martí Pioneer Organization. Their most significant international role was in Angola where the Cuban direction of a joint Angolan/Soviet/Cuban force that was involved in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale and this led to the withdrawal of intervening forces and, in the following peace agreement, the independence of Namibia from South African rule

9.
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
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The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba is the highest office within the Communist Party of Cuba. The first secretary is also the President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers, since 1961, the position of first secretary has been synonymous with leader of Cuba. The current first secretary is Raúl Castro, he is ranked first in the Politburo hierarchy and is the brother of Fidel Castro, his predecessor. The post was named in imitation of the office of First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, list of political parties in Cuba President of Cuba Prime Minister of Cuba

10.
President of Cuba
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The President of Cuba, officially called from 1976 President of the Council of State, is the head of the Council of State of Cuba. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1976, the President of the Council of State is, at the same time, the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba, the head of government. In cases of the absence, illness or death of the President of the Council of State, list of Presidents of Cuba Presidency of Fidel Castro 2006–08 Cuban transfer of presidential duties

11.
Vice President of Cuba
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Vice President of Cuba is the second highest political position obtainable in Cuba. Currently there is a provision for several Vice Presidents, who are elected in the manner as the President of Cuba. Historically, Vice President of Cuba was elected in the ticket with the President. The position has been in use 1902–1928,1936, 1940–1958, and since 1976

12.
Elections in Cuba
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Many governments and international groups have also praised the democratic nature of the Cuban political system. The nature of the participation in Cuba has fostered discussion amongst political writers and philosophers. The Cuban political system is described as undemocratic by human rights groups and academics. Fidel Castro, leader of the Communist Party of Cuba, was in power, first as Prime Minister and then as President, castros brother Raúl Castro was officially designated Fidels successor at a Communist Party congress in October 1997. Fidel Castro officially retired on February 19,2008, leaving his brother as the candidate for president. Elections in Cuba have two phases, election of delegates to the Municipal Assembly, and election of deputies to the Provincial and National Assemblies, Candidates for municipal assemblies are nominated on an individual basis at local levels by the local population at nomination assemblies. Candidates for provincial assemblies and the National Assembly are nominated by the assemblies from lists compiled by national, provincial and municipal candidacy commissions. Suggestions for nominations are made at all levels mainly by organizations, trade unions, peoples councils. Anyone older than 16 other than those mentally incapacitated, imprisoned, or deprived of their rights can vote. No political parties are permitted to campaign, instead, voters can consult candidates biographies and photographs posted on public locations. All elections take place by secret ballot, suffrage is afforded to Cuban citizens resident for two years on the island who are aged over sixteen years and who have not been found guilty of a criminal offense. The election of municipal assembly delegates involves nomination by voters in nomination assemblies, compilation of posting of candidate biographies, voting by secret ballot, Municipal assemblies are elected every two and a half years. Nomination assemblies are held about a month before the election in areas within the electoral districts, during regular elections, from 70% to over 90% of the electorate attend the nomination assemblies. Municipal candidates must be at least 16 years old, Elections were then held in 2010 and 2013. Municipal candidacy commissions submit nominations for provincial delegates to provincial candidacy commissions, the provincial candidacy commissions produce the final list of provincial assembly candidates. Cubas national legislature, the National Assembly of Peoples Power, has 609 members who sit for five-year terms, members of the National Assembly represent multiple-member constituencies, with one Deputy for each 20,000 inhabitants. The provincial and municipal candidacy commissions submit nominations to the National Candidacy Commission. ”At least half of the National Assembly candidates selected must have been elected as delegates to these assemblies. Although there is one candidate per seat, candidates must obtain the support of 50% of voters to be elected

13.
Cuban parliamentary election, 2008
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A parliamentary election to the National Assembly of Peoples Power was held in Cuba on 20 January 2008. According to the Cuban electoral system, one candidate was nominated for each of the 614 seats in the Assembly, the final list of candidates is drawn up by the National Candidature Commission taking into account criteria such as candidates merit, patriotism, ethical values and revolutionary history. The date of the election was announced on 20 November 2007, since his illness began in 2006, Raúl Castro had been acting President. María Esther Reus, the President of the National Electoral Commission and Minister of Justice, turnout in the election was placed at 96. 89%, with 8,231,365 voters participating,95. 24% of the votes cast were valid. 91% of voters cast a ballot for all candidates, while 9% chose to vote only for certain candidates. Of the invalid votes,3. 73% were blank and 1. 04% were spoiled, the newly elected Assembly met for the first time on 24 February. Raúl Castro was re-elected from the 2nd Eastern Front with 99. 37% of the vote, vice-President Carlos Lage and President of the Assembly Ricardo Alarcón respectively won their seats with 92. 40% and 93. 92% of the vote

14.
Cuban parliamentary election, 2013
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Parliamentary elections were held in Cuba on 3 February 2013. The 612 members of the National Assembly of Peoples Power were elected in single-member constituencies, candidates had to obtain at least 50% of the valid votes in a constituency to be elected. If no candidate passed the 50% threshold, the seat was left vacant unless the Council of State chose to hold a by-election, only one candidate stood in each constituency, having been approved by the National Candidature Commission

15.
Administrative divisions of Cuba
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Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is a country comprising the island of Cuba as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and it is south of both the U. S. state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Haiti, and north of Jamaica. Havana is the largest city and capital, other cities include Santiago de Cuba. Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, with an area of 109,884 square kilometres, prior to Spanish colonization in the late 15th century, Cuba was inhabited by Amerindian tribes. It remained a colony of Spain until the Spanish–American War of 1898, as a fragile republic, Cuba attempted to strengthen its democratic system, but mounting political radicalization and social strife culminated in the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1952. Further unrest and instability led to Batistas ousting in January 1959 by the July 26 Movement, since 1965, the state has been governed by the Communist Party of Cuba. A point of contention during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, a nuclear war broke out during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Culturally, Cuba is considered part of Latin America, Cuba is a Marxist–Leninist one-party republic, where the role of the vanguard Communist Party is enshrined in the Constitution. Independent observers have accused the Cuban government of human rights abuses. It is one of the worlds last planned economies and its economy is dominated by the exports of sugar, tobacco, coffee, according to the Human Development Index, Cuba is described as a country with high human development and is ranked the eighth highest in North America. It also ranks highly in some metrics of national performance, including health care, the name Cuba comes from the Taíno language. The exact meaning of the name is unclear but it may be translated either as where fertile land is abundant, authors who believe that Christopher Columbus was Portuguese state that Cuba was named by Columbus for the town of Cuba in the district of Beja in Portugal. Before the arrival of the Spanish, Cuba was inhabited by three distinct tribes of indigenous peoples of the Americas, the Taíno, the Guanajatabey, and the Ciboney people. The ancestors of the Ciboney migrated from the mainland of South America, the Taíno arrived from Hispanola sometime in the 3rd century A. D. When Columbus arrived they were the dominant culture in Cuba, having a population of 150,000. The name Cuba comes from the native Taíno language and it is derived from either coabana meaning great place, or from cubao meaning where fertile land is abundant. The Taíno were farmers, while the Ciboney were farmers as well as fishers and hunter-gatherers, Columbus claimed the island for the new Kingdom of Spain and named it Isla Juana after Juan, Prince of Asturias. In 1511, the first Spanish settlement was founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar at Baracoa, other towns soon followed, including San Cristobal de la Habana, founded in 1515, which later became the capital

16.
Provinces of Cuba
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Administratively, Cuba is divided into 15 provinces and a special municipality thats not included in any province. The last modification was approved in August 2010, splitting Havana province into two new provinces, Artemisa and Mayabeque, the new provinces started functioning from January 1,2011. Havana City Province recovered its original name, La Habana, Isla de la Juventud was known until the 1970s as the Isla de Pinos. The provinces were created in 1879 by the Spanish colonial government, from 1879 to 1976, Cuba was divided into 6 provinces, which maintained with little changes the same boundaries and capital cities, although with modifications in official names. These historical provinces are the following, Pinar del Río La Habana, included the city of Havana, current Mayabeque, some municipalities of current Artemisa Province, oriente, contained the present-day provinces of Las Tunas, Granma, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo Pop. Source, Cuba census 2002 Presidents of the Provincial Assemblies of Peoples Power in each province in the country

17.
Municipalities of Cuba
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The provinces of Cuba are divided into 168 municipalities or municipios. The municipalities are listed below, by province, Source, Population from 2004 Census, Artemisa Province is sub-divided into 11 municipalities. Artemisa was created in 2011 as a split of the former La Habana province, camagüey Province is sub-divided into 13 municipalities. Ciego de Ávila Province is sub-divided into 10 municipalities, cienfuegos Province is sub-divided into 8 municipalities. Granma Province is sub-divided into 13 municipalities, guantánamo Province is sub-divided into 10 municipalities. Havana, the capital, is sub-divided into 15 municipalities. Holguín Province is sub-divided into 14 municipalities, labeled as special municipality, Isla de la Juventud is administered as a single administrative unit. Nueva Gerona is the municipal capital, las Tunas Province is sub-divided into 8 municipalities. As for 2011 Matanzas Province is sub-divided into 13 municipalities, since Varadero municipality was abrogated, mayabeque Province is sub-divided into 11 municipalities. Mayabeque was created in 2011 as a split of former La Habana province, as for 2011 Pinar del Río Province is sub-divided into 11 municipalities, since the three most eastern municipalities were transferred to Artemisa Province. Sancti Spíritus Province is sub-divided into 8 municipalities, santiago de Cuba Province is sub-divided into 9 municipalities. Villa Clara Province is sub-divided into 13 municipalities, the maps below show the municipal subdivision of each province, in yellow, within Cuba. Each provincial capital is shown in red.1 Note, Provinces of Cuba List of cities in Cuba List of places in Cuba Statoids

18.
Committees for the Defense of the Revolution
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Not to be confused with Committees for the Defense of the Revolution Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, or CDR, are a network of neighborhood committees across Cuba. The organizations, described as the eyes and ears of the Revolution, exist to promote social welfare, as of 2010,8.4 million Cubans of the national population of 11.2 million were registered as CDR members. It is considered to be a police organization. The CDR system was formed by Fidel Castro on September 28,1960, following the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the slogan of the CDR is, ¡En cada barrio, Revolución. CDR officials have the duty to monitor the activities of person on their respective blocks. There is a file kept on each block resident, some of which reveal the internal dynamics of each household. Even after its 54-year existence, CDR activity remains contentious, the CDRs also take an active role in vaccination campaigns, blood banks, recycling, practicing evacuations for hurricanes, and backing up the government in its fight against corruption. However, a 2006 Amnesty International report noted CDR involvement in repeated human rights violations that included verbal as well as physical violence. Critics also contend that the CDRs are a tool, giving the government a heads-up about dissident activities on the micro-local level. Elizardo Sánchez, a Cuban dissident, described the CDR as a tool for the systematic and mass violation of rights, for ideological. They assist the police and the service, whereas Lazaro Sanchez. If we have to act, we are going to act and our streets cannot belong to criminals, or to counterrevolutionaries. Empire has the FBI, the Revolution has its CDRs, blockleiter Mass surveillance Informal collaborators Official CDR−Committees for the Defense of the Revolution website— Recent news about the CDR— +

19.
Foreign relations of Cuba
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Cubas foreign policy has been fluid through history depending on world events and other variables, including relations with the United States. The United States used to stick to a policy of isolating Cuba until December 2014, the European Union accuses Cuba of continuing flagrant violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Cuba has developed a relationship with the Peoples Republic of China. In all, Cuba continues to have relations with 160 nations. More than one million exiles have escaped to foreign countries, Cubas present foreign minister is Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. Cuba is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and hosted its September 2006 summit, in addition as a member of the Association of Caribbean States, Cuba was re-appointed as the chair- of the special committee on transportation issues for the Caribbean region. Following a meeting in November 2004, several leaders of South America have attempted to make Cuba either a full or associate member of the South American trade-bloc known as Mercosur, prior to achieving its independence, Cuba was a colony of Spain. Prior to the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, Cuba maintained strong economic, from 1902 until its abrogation in 1934, the Platt Amendment authorized the US to use military force to preserve Cubas independence. In 1917, Cuba entered World War I on the side of the allies, Cuba joined the League of Nations in 1920. In 1941, Cuba declared war on Italy, Germany, Cuba joined the United Nations in 1945. Cuba joined the Organization of American States in 1948, during the Presidency of Fulgencio Batista, Cuba did not initially face trade restrictions. In mid-1958, the United States imposed an embargo on the Batista administration. As early as September 1959, Vadim Kotchergin, a KGB agent, was seen in Cuba, following the establishment of diplomatic ties to the Soviet Union, and after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Cuba became increasingly dependent on Soviet markets and military and economic aid. Castro was able to build a military force with the help of Soviet equipment. Castros alliance with the Soviet Union caused something of a split between him and Guevara, in 1966, Guevara left for Bolivia in an ill-fated attempt to stir up revolution against the countrys government. On August 23,1968, Castro made a gesture to the USSR that caused the Soviet leadership to reaffirm their support for him. Two days after Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia to repress the Prague Spring, Castro took to the airwaves, Castro warned the Cuban people about the Czechoslovakian counterrevolutionaries, who were moving Czechoslovakia towards capitalism and into the arms of imperialists. He called the leaders of the rebellion the agents of West Germany, the relationship between the Soviet Unions KGB and the Cuban Intelligence Directorate was complex and marked by times of extremely close cooperation and times of extreme competition

20.
Cuban passport
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Cuban passports are issued to citizens of Cuba to facilitate international travel. They are valid for 6 years from the date of issuance, the cost of this passport is about US$500 for every two years if one person lives in the United States. Now the passport is the only document required to leave the country, previously the cost of a passport, exit permit, and associated paperwork added up to around US$300, the equivalent of 15 months of average state salary. Passports of many countries contain a message, nominally from the official who is in charge of passport issuance, in Cuban passports, the message is in Spanish, French and English. In addition to colored fibers in all pages, Cuban passports feature a UV-reaction-based mark of the Cuban flag

21.
Spanish language
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Spanish —also called Castilian —is a Romance language that originated in the Castile region of Spain, with hundreds of millions of native speakers around the world. It is usually considered the worlds second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese and it is one of the few languages to use inverted question and exclamation marks. Spanish is a part of the Ibero-Romance group of languages, which evolved from several dialects of Vulgar Latin in Iberia after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. Beginning in the early 16th century, Spanish was taken to the colonies of the Spanish Empire, most notably to the Americas, as well as territories in Africa, Oceania, around 75% of modern Spanish is derived from Latin. Greek has also contributed substantially to Spanish vocabulary, especially through Latin, Spanish vocabulary has been in contact from an early date with Arabic, having developed during the Al-Andalus era in the Iberian Peninsula. With around 8% of its vocabulary being Arabic in origin, this language is the second most important influence after Latin and it has also been influenced by Basque as well as by neighboring Ibero-Romance languages. It also adopted words from languages such as Gothic language from the Visigoths in which many Spanish names and surnames have a Visigothic origin. Spanish is one of the six languages of the United Nations. It is the language in the world by the number of people who speak it as a mother tongue, after Mandarin Chinese. It is estimated more than 437 million people speak Spanish as a native language. Spanish is the official or national language in Spain, Equatorial Guinea, speakers in the Americas total some 418 million. In the European Union, Spanish is the tongue of 8% of the population. Spanish is the most popular second language learned in the United States, in 2011 it was estimated by the American Community Survey that of the 55 million Hispanic United States residents who are five years of age and over,38 million speak Spanish at home. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 uses the term castellano to define the language of the whole Spanish State in contrast to las demás lenguas españolas. Article III reads as follows, El castellano es la lengua española oficial del Estado, las demás lenguas españolas serán también oficiales en las respectivas Comunidades Autónomas. Castilian is the official Spanish language of the State, the other Spanish languages as well shall be official in their respective Autonomous Communities. The Spanish Royal Academy, on the hand, currently uses the term español in its publications. Two etymologies for español have been suggested, the Spanish Royal Academy Dictionary derives the term from the Provençal word espaignol, and that in turn from the Medieval Latin word Hispaniolus, from—or pertaining to—Hispania

22.
Head of government
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The term head of government is often differentiated from the term head of state, as they may be separate positions, individuals, and/or roles depending on the country. In parliamentary systems, including constitutional monarchies, the head of government is the de facto leader of the government. For example, in the United Kingdom, the prime minister advises the Queen on the appointment of the cabinet, advice she is required to accept. On the other hand, the Queens long service as the head of state enables her to provide the prime minister with information and insight into many matters to better run the government. However, because the United Kingdom is a monarchy, the Prime Minister uses his or her own discretion regarding whether or not to follow the Queens advice. The Queen also is entitled to appoint a new Prime Minister, in presidential republics or in absolute monarchies, the head of state is also usually the head of government. The relationship between that leader and the government, however, can vary greatly, ranging from separation of powers to autocracy, in semi-presidential systems, the head of government may answer to both the head of state and the legislature, with the specifics provided by each countrys constitution. A modern example is the present French government, which originated as the French Fifth Republic in 1958, in France, the president, the head of state, appoints the prime minister, who is the head of government. In some cases, the head of state may represent one political party, in this case, known as cohabitation, the prime minister, along with the cabinet, controls domestic policy, with the presidents influence is largely restricted to foreign affairs. In directorial systems, the executive responsibilities of the head of government are spread among a group of people, a prominent example is the Swiss Federal Council, where each member of the council heads a department and also votes on proposals relating to all departments. A common title for many heads of government is prime minister, various constitutions use different titles, and even the same title can have various multiple meanings, depending on the constitutional order and political system of the state in question. In addition to prime minister, titles used for the democratic model, some of these titles relate to governments below the national level. Have been used by various Empires, Kingdoms and Princely States of India as a title for the Prime Minister, maltese, In Malta, the head of government is Prim Ministru. In this case, the prime minister serves at the pleasure of the monarch, some such titles are diwan, mahamantri, pradhan, wasir or vizier. However, just because the head of state is the de jure dominant position does not mean that he/she will not always be the de facto political leader, in some cases, the head of state is a figurehead whilst the head of the government leads the ruling party. In some cases a head of government may even pass on the title in hereditary fashion, the ability to vote down legislative proposals of the government. Control over or ability to vote down fiscal measures and the budget, all of these requirements directly impact the Head of governments role. Many parliamentary systems require ministers to serve in parliament, while others ban ministers from sitting in parliament, heads of government are typically removed from power in a parliamentary system by Resignation, following, Defeat in a general election

23.
Alfredo Zayas y Alfonso
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Alfredo de Zayas y Alfonso, usually known as Alfredo de Zayas under Spanish naming customs and also known as Alfredo Zayas, was a Cuban lawyer, poet and political figure. Born in Havana into a family with old sugar plantations, he was the 5th child of Dr. José María de Zayas y Jiménez, a noted lawyer and educator. As one of the leaders of the Cuban insurrection of 1895, besides his successful legal practice, he was active in Cuban literary circles and was co-editor of the journal Cuba Literaria. Zayas was an intellectual, not a leader, and during the 1895-1898 Cuban war of independence, he was arrested. When deported, while in transit in Spains Cárcel Modelo of Madrid, he wrote some of his best poetry, like Al Caer la Nieve subsequently published in his Obras Completas, Vol.1, Poesia. Zayas was sometimes referred to as the civilian president, because unlike his predecessor. Upon his return to Cuba after the Spanish–Cuban–American War, he became acting mayor of Havana and he was a member of the Constitutional Convention 1901 and became its secretary. A vocal leader of the opposition against U. S. annexation of Cuba, he voted against the Platt Amendment and against granting naval bases to the United States in Guantánamo, Zayas became leader of the Liberal Party and was elected Vice-President 1908. In the contested,1916 presidential election in which the populist Liberal Party used violent tactics, he obtained more votes than the pro-US candidate, Cornell graduate General Mario García Menocal. The Chambelona War ensued, which after some reverses, was won by the Conservative Forces of Garcia Menocal with the support of the United States. Zayas surrendered in Cambute near Guanabacoa where it was said he was hiding, however, US only deployed forces in Oriente Province. Reelected in 1920, Zayas became president in 1921. P, morgan, and for the first time allowed full freedom of expression and of the press. On 10 October 1922 he launched PWX, the first Cuban radio station and this brought him the nickname el Chino, because of his stoicism and his oriental patience. Sometimes he was also nicknamed pesetero, because since his imprisonment in Madrid he had carried a Spanish Peseta coin in his vest pocket. When he took office in 1921, the country was in bankruptcy, with debts exceeding US$40 million, in spite of this, he carried out a number of reforms, particularly in the field of education. In 1884, Zayas married Margarita Teresa Claudia del Carmen Arrieta y Diago and they had four children, Margarita, Alfredo, Francisco, in 1914, he married a second time to Maria de la Asuncion Jaen y Planas. He, additionally, had one child out of wedlock. His great grandnephew is the lawyer and historian Alfred-Maurice de Zayas, compendio Histórico-Genealógico del Linaje Zayas, Descendencia del Infante Don Jaime de Aragón

24.
Fulgencio Batista
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Fulgencio Batista Zaldívar was the elected President of Cuba from 1940 to 1944, and U. S. -backed dictator from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown during the Cuban Revolution. Fulgencio Batista initially rose to power as part of the 1933 Revolt of the Sergeants that overthrew the rule of Gerardo Machado. He then appointed chief of the armed forces, with the rank of colonel. He maintained this control through a string of puppet presidents until 1940 and he then instated the 1940 Constitution of Cuba, considered progressive for its time, and served until 1944. After finishing his term he lived in Florida, returning to Cuba to run for president in 1952, facing certain electoral defeat, he led a military coup that preempted the election. He then aligned with the wealthiest landowners who owned the largest sugar plantations, and presided over a stagnating economy that widened the gap between rich and poor Cubans. Eventually it reached the point where most of the industry was in U. S. hands. During the Cuban Revolution, Batistas forces were responsible for the deaths of anywhere from hundreds to four thousand people, Batista immediately fled the island with an amassed personal fortune to the Dominican Republic, where strongman and previous military ally Rafael Trujillo held power. Batista eventually found political asylum in Oliveira Salazars Portugal, where he lived until his death on August 6,1973, near Marbella and he was of Spanish, African and Chinese descent. His mother named him Rubén and gave him her last name and his father did not want to register him as a Batista. Both Batistas parents are believed to have been of mixed race, Batista was initially educated at a public school in Banes, and later attended night classes at an American Quaker school. He left home at age 14, after the death of his mother, coming from a humble background, he earned a living as a laborer in the cane fields, docks, and railroads. He was a tailor, mechanic, charcoal vendor and fruit peddler, in 1921, he traveled to Havana and joined the army as a private in April that year. After learning shorthand and typing, Batista left the army in 1923 and he transferred back to the army as a corporal, becoming secretary to a regimental colonel. In 1933, Batista led an uprising called the Revolt of the Sergeants, Machado was succeeded by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes y Quesada, who lacked a political coalition that could sustain him and was soon replaced. A short-lived five-member presidency, known as the Pentarchy of 1933, was established and it included a representative from each anti-Machado faction. Batista was not a member, but controlled Cubas armed forces, the majority of the commissioned officer corps were forced to retire or, some speculate, were killed. Grau remained president for just over 100 days before Batista, conspiring with the U. S. envoy Sumner Welles, Grau was replaced by Carlos Mendieta, and within five days the U. S. recognized Cubas new government, which lasted eleven months

25.
Fidel Castro
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Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who governed the Republic of Cuba as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008. Politically a Marxist–Leninist and Cuban nationalist, he served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1961 until 2011. Under his administration, Cuba became a one-party socialist state, industry and business were nationalized, born in Birán, Oriente as the son of a wealthy Spanish farmer, Castro adopted leftist anti-imperialist politics while studying law at the University of Havana. After a years imprisonment, he traveled to Mexico where he formed a revolutionary group, returning to Cuba, Castro took a key role in the Cuban Revolution by leading the Movement in a guerrilla war against Batistas forces from the Sierra Maestra. After Batistas overthrow in 1959, Castro assumed military and political power as Cubas Prime Minister, adopting a Marxist–Leninist model of development, Castro converted Cuba into a one-party, socialist state under Communist Party rule, the first in the Western Hemisphere. Policies introducing central economic planning and expanding healthcare and education were accompanied by control of the press. These actions, coupled with Castros leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1979 to 1983 and Cubas medical internationalism, following the Soviet Unions dissolution in 1991, Castro led Cuba into its Special Period and embraced environmentalist and anti-globalization ideas. In the 2000s he forged alliances in the Latin American pink tide—namely with Hugo Chávezs Venezuela—and signed Cuba up to the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, in 2006 he transferred his responsibilities to Vice-President Raúl Castro, who was elected to the presidency by the National Assembly in 2008. Castro is a world figure. His supporters view him as a champion of socialism and anti-imperialism whose revolutionary regime advanced economic, critics view him as a dictator whose administration oversaw human-rights abuses, the exodus of a large number of Cubans, and the impoverishment of the countrys economy. He was decorated with various awards and significantly influenced various individuals. In 1960 Castro was bestowed with the Grand Slam Silver Trophy in the prestigious Ernest Hemingway International Billfishing Tournament after he caught a sailfish, Castro was born out of wedlock at his fathers farm on August 13,1926. His father, Ángel Castro y Argiz, was a migrant to Cuba from Galicia, aged six, Castro was sent to live with his teacher in Santiago de Cuba, before being baptized into the Roman Catholic Church at the age of eight. Being baptized enabled Castro to attend the La Salle boarding school in Santiago, in 1945 he transferred to the more prestigious Jesuit-run El Colegio de Belén in Havana. Although Castro took an interest in history, geography and debating at Belén, he did not excel academically, in 1945, Castro began studying law at the University of Havana. Admitting he was illiterate, he became embroiled in student activism. In 1947, Castro joined the Party of the Cuban People, a charismatic figure, Chibás advocated social justice, honest government, and political freedom, while his party exposed corruption and demanded reform. Though Chibás came third in the 1948 general election, Castro remained committed to working on his behalf, in later years anti-Castro dissidents accused him of committing gang-related assassinations at the time, but these remain unproven

The Pentarchy of 1933 was a five-man Presidency of Cuba, including José M. Irisari, Porfirio Franca, Guillermo Portela, Ramón Grau, and Sergio Carbó. Fulgencio Batista, who controlled the armed forces, is on the far right.